Mayor’s Office Opens Three Cooling Stations For Seniors

By Special to the Daily WorldMayor Kasim Reed, the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department (AFRD) and the Mayor’s Office of Constituent Services announced that three cooling stations opened this week to ensure that Atlanta’s seniors have a safe place to stay cool throughout the summer. The Dunbar Neighborhood Center and Georgia Hill Neighborhood Center will be open from 8a.m. to 5p.m. Monday through Friday. The J.C. Birdine Center will be open from 8a.m. to 6p.m. Monday through Friday.

“Atlanta is in the midst of a heat wave and I urge our senior citizens to take advantage of the cooling stations if they need a safe place during the hottest hours of the day,” said Reed. “I am grateful to our partners for their commitment to serving our seniors and ensuring their continued health.

Elderly people, age 65 and older, are more susceptible to heat-related illnesses than younger people for several reasons: elderly people do not adjust as well as young people to sudden changes in temperature; they are more likely to have a chronic medical condition that changes normal body responses to heat; and they are more likely to take prescription medicines that impair the body’s ability to regulate its temperature or that inhibit perspiration.

On Tuesday, June 28, in the City Hall Atrium, SCANA Energy will donate 1,000 fans to the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department and the Mayor’s Office of Constituent Services for distribution to low-income, elderly residents.

To request a fan or for further assistance contact the Mayor’s Office of Constituent Services at 404-330-6023.